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Tesla starts selling used Model 3 cars online
Until now, buying a used Tesla Model 3 has usually entailed tracking down a reseller or spotting a sale from an individual owner. Now, though, it's just a matter of visiting Tesla's website. The EV maker has started selling used Model 3s online in the San Francisco Bay Area, and some of them are potentially good deals (if not as good as you often see with used cars). You can pay slightly over $40,000 for a 2017 Long Range model where you'd be happy to get a brand new Standard Range Plus version for that much.
Discogs expands its marketplace to help you sell used audio gear
Discogs' vinyl-tracking app and database are handy for vinyl collectors on the hunt for some new goods. However, the company is moving beyond records and into audio gear as a whole with its next big project. In an interview with Thump, Discogs founder and CEO Kevin Lewandowski explained that it already launched a database called Gearogs for synths, drum machines, turntables and more.
GameStop confirms new four-tiered trade-in pricing policy
GameStop announced a new trade-in pricing policy today, which simplifies the company's current pre-owned purchasing structure. Set to launch August 18, the program will enforce four price points "depending on whether a customer chooses cash or in-store credit for their items and whether they are a PowerUp Rewards Pro member," the announcement states. The announcement serves as a confirmation of last week's report of an incoming change to GameStop's trade-in program, which stated that the flat rates for traded goods would rise by 20 percent, on average. As an example, GameStop noted that a game valued at $20 would be bumped to $22 for PowerUp Rewards Pro members that opt to receive in-store credit and drop to $16 for non-members only seeking cash for their games. GameStop's senior VP for pre-owned business Jason Cochran said the previous trade-in structure included 10 different price points. [Image: GameStop]
Walmart dips into trade-in market this month, selling used games in summer
The used game market just grew immensely, as Walmart announced plans today to begin taking video game trade-ins across the United States, putting itself in direct competition with GameStop. Starting March 26, those trading their games in at more than 3,100 Walmart stores will receive a gift card usable at any Walmart or Sam's Club location in exchange. All exchanged products are then "sent to be refurbished and made available for purchase in like-new condition starting this summer." The retailer will accept online trade-ins for all games, but will only allow in-store exchanges for hardware. Walmart provided an exchange rate calculator on its website to give customers an idea of trade-in values. As for functional hardware, when including all the accompanying cables and one controller, the Xbox One has a current trade-in value of $390, the PS4 is $375, the Wii U Deluxe is $120, a 3G-enabled Vita is $95 and 3DS XL is $105. Working copies of Grand Theft Auto 5 currently exchange at $27.72, Dead Rising 3 is $38, the PS4 version of NBA 2K14 is $35.42 and Super Mario 3D World is $38. [Image: Walmart]
Walmart's used games for gift cards trade-in program opens March 26th (video)
After many rumors and even a brief trial program, Walmart is finally following Best Buy, Amazon and, of course, GameStop in taking trade-ins of used games. It will start accepting your old games on March 26th, in exchange for store credit usable at Walmart and Sam's Club, whether in-store or online. Once it has the games they'll be refurbished and then this summer, go on sale for "a great low price." It's all very familiar if you've ever traded a game in before, but Walmart says it will "pay more for used games, sell new and used games for less, and give our customers the flexibility to spend their money how they want." Your move, GameStop.
Trade in your PS3 or Xbox 360 this week, get at least $100 at Best Buy
Those looking for a little extra dough for the holidays or for their new PS4 or Xbox One systems may consider trading in their current-gen consoles. Best Buy has those folks in mind this week, as it is offering a minimum $100 gift card for all working Xbox 360 and PS3 systems. The deal is good through participating Best Buy locations until Saturday, November 23. While the condition of the system and added accessories will affect the value Best Buy places on the used goods, any console with a broken factory seal, is cracked or has water damage will not be eligible for trade-in. We told you to not bring your Xbox 360 down the water slide.
GameStop discounting used Xbox 360 and PS3 systems
Ahead of next-gen console launches this November, GameStop is cutting the prices of its used PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware from October 11 to October 24. During the promotion, customers can pick up the original Xbox 360 for $99.99 (previously $129.99) and the Xbox 360 Slim 4 GB system for $119.99 (previously $179.99). All pre-owned PS3 hardware is marked down to $149.99 (from up to $259.99). GameStop is also throwing in any used game priced at $19.99 or less for free with any used hardware purchase. Additionally, those with GameStop's PowerUp Rewards loyalty program card in hand can get in on the promotion a day early and also receive a 30 percent discount on used PS3 and Xbox 360 accessories. That is on top of the 10 percent discount program members receive off their used purchases.
Gamestop defends Xenoblade price tag, Metroid Prime Trilogy being restocked
Gamestop's inventory of pre-owned Xenoblade Chronicles copies seemed to inflate overnight on August 10, when the game showed up at previously dry retail locations and online for $90 a pop. Xenoblade is a famously hard-to-find Wii role-playing game that was sold only via Nintendo and Gamestop on first printing, and until now it seemed retail stock teetered on nonexistence. We contacted Gamestop when Xenoblade was resurrected last week, and today the company issued a response: "Gamestop regularly receives feedback from our PowerUp members regarding old titles they would like us to bring back, such as vintage games like Xenoblade Chronicles. We were recently able to source a limited number of copies of this title to carry in our stores and online. "In fact, we have sourced several more vintage titles that will be hitting stores in the coming months, including Metroid Prime Trilogy. "As always, our pricing for these games is competitive and is based on current market value driven by supply and demand. PowerUp Pro members always receive a 10 percent discount and earn PUR points on pre-owned purchases." There's no word on the source of Gamestop's fresh copies. Nintendo has yet to respond to our requests for clarification, regarding whether this is a reprint or simply a surprising windfall of pre-owned games. Really, all of this comes down to one, simple question: How much is five stars worth to you?
Gamestop offers $50 credit with trade of select 360 games for Xbox One versions
Gamestop will offer $50 trade-in credit to PowerUp Rewards members who buy a new, Xbox 360 version of a game and then trade it back in for the Xbox One version. The promotion is valid for the Xbox versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 or Assassin's Creed 4. In order to be eligible to receive the trade-in credit, patrons must be PowerUp Rewards members at the time of the initial purchase, which must take place within 30 days of the game's release date. Then, upon trading the game in for the Xbox One version, the customer will be emailed a coupon that grants $50 trade-in credit for the Xbox 360 version, for use when upgrading to the Xbox One version before December 31 of this year. No mention of the PlayStation 4 was made in the press release, so whether a similar offer will be made for PS3/PS4 cross-generation games remains to be seen. Update: Gamestop has informed us that the $50 coupon is delivered in tandem with the purchase of the Xbox 360 version of the game, rather than after the upgrade to the Xbox One version. This article has been altered slightly to reflect that information.
How game licensing works on the Xbox One (yes, it supports used games)
You will be able to give your Xbox One games to your friends, but only once and only to friends you've known for more than a month. That's according to the new rules shared today about Xbox One game licensing by Microsoft. All games will be available new in both disc or digital form, and will need to be installed on your Xbox One while logged in. From there, you'll be registered for the game on the cloud, so you'll be able to play it wherever you're logged into an Xbox One, even if you happen to be at a friend's house. You will have the option to resell that game back to a retailer, but that retailer will have to sign up with Microsoft to allow you to do so. Microsoft won't charge fees to do that, but it does say that "third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers." You can give the game away, but only once and only to someone who's been on your friends list for that required 30 days. Microsoft also says that the ability to loan or rent games "won't be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners." All of the information about game licensing on the new console can be seen on the official Xbox One site.
Microsoft Xbox One FAQ responds to always-on DRM, used games rumors
One of the more contentious rumors surrounding next-gen consoles has been potential changes to DRM and while Microsoft hasn't answered all our questions when it comes to the Xbox One, it took a few head on. The official FAQ starts off with the "always-on" DRM issue and also addresses used games, indicating that the box is designed "so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection," and that it does not have to always be connected. That said, it still "requires" a connection to the internet, promising cloud-based benefits for gameplay and more. Other questions answer things like whether the new console will require more power (no) and will our Xbox Live Gold subscriptions still work with the new and old hardware (yes). When it comes to used games, the FAQ's response is also promising, stating "We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games." We can still find enough wiggle room in those responses to remain curious, but it appears we should be able to avoid a SimCity-style meltdown (with our new games, since the old ones won't work.) Update: There have been many questions about a reported "small fee" for used games, but we've asked Microsoft and received no confirmation of that. Joystiq points out that the Wired article where the tidbit originated has been updated to mention Microsoft did not detail its plans for used games, while the Xbox Support Twitter account claims there are no fees and the article is incorrect.
Used games will function on PlayStation 4, but there's a mysterious caveat
Sony head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida is a gregarious, smart, talkative interviewee. And that's exactly why it was so weird that he fully waffled when we asked him to address whether or not the newly unveiled PlayStation 4 will play used games. "That's my expectation, that PS4 games will work on [the] hardware. That's my expectation," he told us in an interview this morning. When we pushed to clarify what he meant, Yoshida stuttered. "Ummm ... yeah. We have to really name our system services to explain more about it," he added. That's a similar answer to what he told Eurogamer last night at Sony's big PlayStation 4 announcement event, vagueness and all. Yes, used games "can play on PS4," but does it require a license repurchase? Perhaps you have to belong to an as-yet-unidentified PS4 online network? It's not entirely clear, but there seems to be a caveat to the statement, "Used games work on PS4." Sony, however, isn't saying what that caveat is just yet. Of course, current-gen consoles all support buying any used, physical copies of games and playing them on their corresponding game consoles Yoshida also confirmed that games will launch at retail as well as digital, but, well, you probably already guessed that from the included Blu-ray disc drive.
Sony's Yoshida: 'used games can play on a PS4'
In news that should keep parties going until the early morning at Gamestops everywhere, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida tells Eurogamer that used games will still play on the PlayStation 4. Despite some issues with the translation, he stated clearly that "used games can play on a PS4." That appears to clearly put the issue to bed, despite rumors or patent misinterpretations passed around the internet recently. Now, we wait for our own chance to ask a few questions of Sony about its upcoming console like "what does it look like?", and the competition over at Microsoft goes on the hot seat with secondhand-loving gamers.
Report: October a record month for tablet trade-ins
It's not just original iPads that are still very much in demand -- it's all tablets, past and present. According to a new report by trade-in site SellCell.com, October 2012 was the biggest month for tablet trade-ins in history, spurred by brand new tablet announcements from Google (the Nexus 10 was officially revealed), Microsoft (the long-awaited Surface saw release), and of course Apple, with the long-rumored iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad. The release of new tablets like these sent the trade-in rates on older tablets soaring, resulting in iPad trade-ins specifically up 500 percent just a week after the iPad mini announcement. In terms of devices coming in for trade, Apple's iPad claims 76 percent of trade-ins, while the BlackBerry PlayBook is next at 10 percent and then the Samsung Galaxy Tab at 7 percent. Of course, more tablets available for trade-in means that prices drop as well, and SellCell says that's exactly what's happening. Trade-in values for the iPad 2 with 3G dropped from $375 to $275 in just the last month. But the good news is that more new tablet models also makes older tablet models more affordable, so even if you can't drop the cash on a new iPad fourth generation, maybe you can find something a little cheaper on Craigslist or trade-in sites like SellCell itself. But the fact that there is such an active market for older tablets shows just what the demand looks like for the category at large. As long as Apple continues to have trouble keeping up with demand on new units, there will also be a trickle-down demand for older versions as well.
GameStop CEO finds digital used market 'interesting'
GameStop CEO Paul Raines mentioned recently the company finds used downloadable goods "interesting," but "it's not a meaningful business yet." Speaking to Gamespot, Raines said, "Right now we're not seeing that as a huge market, but I think we're on the leading edge. There are a few companies, a few startups, out there that we've talked to that are doing this."Coincidentally, we already asked Gamestop about this topic when it purchased Stardock's Impulse digital distribution system, which had been playing with Goo, a system created to create a "used PC license market.""We don't see a lot of interest in that model from our publishing partners," Steve Nix, manager of PC digital distribution for GameStop told us earlier this year. He noted the potential interest by customers, but had a hard time seeing publishers supporting the model. Raines wouldn't share the companies they were talking to over concerns of "competitors rushing in." GameStop has seen great success in slowly applying its physical store practices to the digital realm.
EU clears resales of used software, shoots down Oracle's new-sales-only dreams
One advantage American technology fans can celebrate is the right to resell software. After the initial purchase, they're usually cleared to pass along any apps or games as long as the technology itself allows. Europeans haven't had that (legal) option to date, but the EU's Court of Justice has just ruled in a case against Oracle that they will going forward: no matter what the license says, those in EU countries can resell their downloaded apps as long as they don't try to keep a working copy for themselves. The new owner doesn't even have to shuffle over a local example and can go straight to the source. We can't imagine that Oracle and other companies averse to used software are jumping for joy, although copy protection and a lack of digital resale mechanisms might help them simmer down and let us treat our apps like we do our gadgets. [Image credit: Maciej Bliziński, Flickr]
You're the Pundit: What's the best way to unload your old iTech?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is trade-ins (all prices quoted are as of this writing). With Amazon offering US$297 for a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad versus Gazelle's $250, it's worth shopping around for the best trade-in offers. And yet, service, reliability, and name brand recognition seems to play an important role in the who-do-you-trust game. Are you in the market to sell your iPad? Who have you used and was your experience positive? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your insight. %Poll-73984%
Study: iPad holds value longer than Kindle
Electronics retailer Gazelle has been calculating up the various values of used electronics, and the firm has found that the iPad will hold its value way better than the Amazon Kindle has so far. The Kindle e-readers have only held, at the most, about 33% of their price after a year of use, while the iPad is usually sold for about 50% of its original price. Even the iPhone is more valuable after it's used: Old iPhones are selling for about 40% of their original price. It's no surprise why: Apple products are continuing to remain in demand even after they're updated, and the Kindle's lower price and fewer features probably doesn't help the resale value either. If there's a not a big difference between the used and new prices and not many new features, why wouldn't you just buy a new Kindle? Obviously the iPad 2 is faster and has that camera, but an original iPad is still very useful, making it much more valuable for the price. All of that said, of course, this tablet market is changing very quickly, and the pattern that we've seen with the iPhone is that as more models come out, the earliest models are worth even less; just find an original iPhone on Craiglist these days to see how cheap they can be now that the 4 and 4S are out. With another iteration of the iPad expected out this year, we might see the earliest models become quite cheap on the resale scale.
GameStop sees majority of digital sales from cash; won't pursue used PC game sales
GameStop is building its digital distribution business, having seen a 158 percent growth year-over-year in the third quarter, with strong returns thanks to customers who don't use credit cards."70 percent of our sales for DLC is non credit card. So that's a customer either paying with cash, GameStop gift card or trade credit," Steve Nix, manager of PC digital distribution for GameStop told us at DICE 2012. "Think about all those Call of Duty Elite subscriptions and all those customers who aren't using a credit card to purchase them.""We're actually growing [the downloadable content] market, because about half our DLC customers never purchased DLC previously. So, for game developers that want to sell more DLC, we're introducing gamers to DLC for the first time in our stores."Nix recognized that it may seem odd the retail chain's brick and mortar stores are so successful selling digital content. It's clearly servicing customers who don't have credit cards or don't want to use credit cards, but still wish to extend their favorite games. He "absolutely" feels this same situation is what's pushing their in-store PC full game sales, despite PC gamers having so many online purchasing options.Since Gamestop purchased Stardock's Impulse digital distribution store, we wanted to know if it would continue to pursue Goo, which would have essentially created a "used PC games market."Nixing the idea, he said "We don't see a lot of interest in that model from our publishing partners." He recognizes customers would be interested, but is not really seeing publisher support for such a model.
Study shows Android handsets depreciate in value faster than iPhone
The iPhone has always had a robust market for used handsets, with even older models still getting rather good returns for their former owners. Priceonomics has done a study of the used smartphone market and compared the depreciation in resale value for the iPhone versus Android and BlackBerry handsets. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone holds onto its value much better than competing handsets over the same stretch of time. Priceonomics found that after 18 months an iPhone still garnered an average of 53 percent of its original (unsubsidized) price; in other words, you can expect an iPhone that's a year and a half old to fetch around US$300 on the used market. In contrast, Android handsets only held onto 42 percent of their value, and BlackBerry handsets were a close third at 41 percent. The study also found that most Android handsets depreciate much faster than the iPhone; a used iPhone 4S could probably be sold at or near full retail value months after you bought it, but according to Priceonomics an Android handset would have lost "hundreds of dollars in value" over the same time. The study suggests that the iPhone's reputation as a premium brand is part of why it depreciates in value slower than its competitors, but other factors are likely at play as well. One important consideration is that older-model iPhones still enjoy software updates and support from Apple; the iPhone 3GS is quickly approaching its third birthday, but it still runs the latest version of iOS. Contrast that with the situation among Android handsets, where many (if not most) models sold in 2011 will be forever stuck on Android 2.3 or earlier. The sheer breadth of different Android models is probably hurting the resale market as well. Since 2007 there have only been five major iterations of the iPhone, but the same number of Android handsets can come out in a single week, from multiple manufacturers, and with feature sets and names that are difficult for average consumers to sort through. With all that in mind, it's no wonder the used market for iPhones is paralleling the used PC market, where the Mac reigns supreme in resale value.
